Pakistan: Islamabad authorities give protesters until Nov. 23 to disperse /update 3

Event

Members of religious parties holding a sit-in at Islamabad’s Faizabad Interchange (junction) have been given a new ultimatum to disperse by Thursday, November 23. The protesters had initially been given until November 17, but the Interior Ministry announced on Monday that an extension had been granted by the Islamabad High Court (IHC). Violent clashes between Islamist demonstrators and police, along with sit-in related traffic disruptions, are possible within the coming days, and especially on November 23.

Context

The IHC ordered protesters to end their ongoing sit-in at the Faizabad Interchange in Islamabad on November 16, and issued a final warning on November 17. The Faizabad Interchange, which connects Islamabad with nearby Rawalpindi, has been occupied by several Islamist parties for the past two weeks. The protesters have thus far refused to comply with the government's ultimatums. Officials have placed shipping containers on adjacent roads to contain the protesters, resulting in significant traffic disruptions within and around Islamabad, and have expressed a willingness to soon use force to break up the sit-in.

The protests have been organized to demand the removal of Federal Law Minister Zahid Hamid, who has made several controversial statements regarding Islam, angering hardliner groups. Large-scale religious violence is not unheard of in Islamabad: in 2007, clashes between supporters of fundamentalist preachers and Pakistani authorities resulted in over 100 deaths.

Advice

Individuals in Islamabad and Rawalpindi are advised to anticipate transportation disruptions, avoid all public gatherings due to the risk of violence, and monitor the situation.